Information Security Certifications

IT Management Certifications

Computer Networking Certifications

Certification

5-Year Cost

Related Jobs

Prerequisites

Potential Salary Increase

Programming Certifications

Certification

5-Year Cost

Related Jobs

Prerequisites

Potential Salary Increase

Our methodology

Using internal data from a 12-month period, we compared the salaries offered for similar job categories that requested certifications against those that didn’t. When our sample size wasn’t large enough for analysis, we noted “insufficient data” in the salary column.

We discovered many IT certifications can add a considerable boost to your salary. However, it’s important to note that many factors, such as your position, location and industry, affect the salary results. There’s also no guarantee you’ll receive a raise immediately after earning a certification. While an employer may reward you, the real value is being ready to advance your career—a certification can help you pursue higher-level IT positions.

In some cases, our results showed the salary increase varies a lot by role, particularly for management vs. technical positions. In those instances, we broke out the salary increase by role type.

Finally, the true cost of an IT certification can be much more than the price of the exam to get certified. Therefore, the five-year cost includes the exam price plus any mandatory training required by the certifying body, as well as maintenance and recertification fees incurred within five years.

Additional resources

Tom’s IT Pro offers excellent insider knowledge of the best certifications within IT specialties. We highly recommend you explore this resource if you’re deciding between IT certifications.

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